Skechers And Levi’s Among International Brands To Open At Malmö Designer Village

Skechers and Levi’s are among the brands that have signed to open at the new retail scheme, located 20 minutes’ drive from Malmö, in the Öresund region of Scandinavia, and just 50 minutes drive from Copenhagen. 

Serving this cross-border catchment of Copenhagen in Denmark and Malmö in southern Sweden, Malmö Designer Village will cater to more than twice the average catchment of the existing Outlets in the Nordic region including the 3.8 million residents within 90 minutes of the outlet. 

With global tourists accounting for 26 million overnight stays a year with 1 hour of the site, international brands are set to benefit from a diverse range of shoppers upon opening.

“We continue to strive for valuable and sustainable growth, delivering quality shopping experiences for our customers across all markets,” says Hiren Sawjani, Real Estate Director for Levi Strauss & Co North, commenting on Levi´s revival at Malmö Designer Village. “Opening a store at the forthcoming Malmö Designer Village, will be a positive step towards the continued growth of our brand within the Scandinavian market.  Reaching such an engaged, large and varied catchment area will allow us to welcome existing and new customers to immerse themselves within the LS&Co brand experience.”

With the design inspired by Scandinavian culture and local architecture, Malmö Designer Village is well underway to becoming an exemplar for how best to deliver European outlet destinations that enhance local culture, alongside offering visitors premium international brands. 

Malmö Designer Village’s low-impact design will deliver an outlet with durability and resilience, reducing carbon emissions and protecting biodiversity. 

Targeting a BREAAM ‘Very Good’ rating, the outlet’s design also considers the sustainability of operations. By installing ground source heat pumps, Rioja Estates will enable low-energy heat to be provided directly to each unit via heat exchangers – a more energy-efficient scheme. The ground source system will be supported by hidden solar panels on the 24,155 sq m roof, to deliver further energy efficiencies. To ensure daily operations remain as sustainable as possible, MDV has developed fit-out guidelines which support retailers to minimize their environmental impact and deliver on their respective sustainability commitments. 

Discussing the opportunity for Jack & Jones to join the Outlet Village, Niclas Johansson, Retail Management for Bestseller, said: “We are excited to embark on this thrilling journey of expanding our outlet operations and becoming a part of Malmö Designer Village’s commitment to sustainability and environmental awareness, which perfectly aligns with Jack & Jones’ values. Our expectations are high on this new location, where we look forward to creating exceptional shopping experiences for our customers.”

The Malmö Designer Village project is being delivered by Rioja Estates, pioneers of the outlet retail sector. It is working with TORG International, one of the fastest-growing global outlet development groups.

“With two years still to go until we open, it’s great to see top brands, both internationally and nationally, committing themselves to Malmö Designer Village,” says Giles Membrey, Managing Director of developer Rioja Estates. “Benefitting from a high-spend catchment, where the average purchasing power per capita is 21 per cent greater than the European outlet industry average, Ken Gunn Consulting research projects Malmö Designer Village in the top 25 per cent outlet centers in Europe once open.”